Sequin Christmas Tree

I love my sequin eggs I made last Easter using polystyrene eggs, that when I found a polystyrene cone in my Christmas craft supplies I decided to make a sequin Christmas tree. Here's how...

Sequin Christmas Tree
Tools and Materials

• Polystyrene cone
• Brass sequin pins
• Translucent round Sequins
• Printed Round sequins
• Printed Round sequins
• Small pink bucket

Start by pushing the pin through the hole in the top of one printed sequin and one larger translucent sequin, then push pin with sequins into cone. Then continue to pin the sequins in rows till entire cone is covered in sequins. Carefully bend back the handles on the bucket so they are at 90 degrees and attach to base of sequin cone using map pins.




Have a sweet day!

Bombay Duck Giveaway winner

My contest ended yesterday and I just picked a winner using random.org and I am delighted to announce the winner of the Bombay Duck giveaway is...

Deborah from adorable blog Bee Happy.

Congratulations Deborah, you will receive a set of 4 Miss Darcy teacups and saucers in assorted colours from Bombay Duck.

Thank you to all of you sweets that entered, to my loyal followers and new friends.

Have a sweet day!

Snow globe inspired table setting

I bought my six glass butter dishes from Dille Kamille in Antwerp, Belgium last year and have used them several times as they perfectly fit individual cupcakes! For Christmas I decided to make them look like snow globes. I started by tracing the dome on to a sheet of card so I had the right size circle to sit in the base. Then using a small piece of double sided sticky tape I adhered a bottle brush tree to the centre of the card. ( I used tape instead of glue so I could re-use the trees) Then using snow paint I covered the circle of card and the base of the tree in the textured paint. Before the paint started to dry I sprinkled it with white glitter and left it to dry. I had some plastic deer cake decorations that were the perfect size but there orange bellies were a little bit bright for me so I scratched off the paint and replaced it with some pearly nail polish, I then painted the antlers on my deer cake decorations with silver glitter nail polish to give them some extra sparkle!







Have a sweet day!

Mini gluten free chocolate & raspberry cheesecakes

Raspberry Cheesecake (makes 8 jars)

Ingredients

• 8 gluten free chocolate digestive biscuits
• 100g unsalted (sweet) butter
• 400g cream cheese
• 600ml double (heavy) cream
• 6 tbsp icing sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 200g raspberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 gelatine leaf soaked in a bowl of water

What you will need

• Small glass jars

Cooking instructions

1. Place digestives in a bag and crush by rolling a rolling pin back and forth over the bag until you are left with crumbs
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, remove from heat and stir in digestive crumbs
3. Divide crumb mixture between the jars and press down lightly with the end of a wooden spoon or teaspoon
4. Whip double cream until stiff peaks form
5. In a separate bowl whisk cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth
6. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mix
7. Fill biscuit based jars with cream cheese mixture
8. Place in fridge
9. Blend raspberries in a blender until you have a puree
10. Place raspberries, water and sugar in a pan and heat on medium heat until sugar has dissolved
11. Remove from heat and add gelatine leaf, stir until dissolved
12. Place in cup to cool
13. Spoon raspberries mix on to individual cheesecakes
14. Leave in fridge until ready to serve

Have a sweet day!

My Christmas Table

Yesterday I showed you my Christmas corner so today I thought I would share with you what my Christmas table finally looked like...

My glass butter dishes turned into snow globes and used as table settings, Denby plates from there Flavours range in coconut and blueberry.

Cake stand filled with Lindt Lindor white chocolate truffles, Glass Pinecone ornaments

Glass reindeer my parents bought me last year on a trip to Alaska, Felted Snowflake table mat tutorial, Mini cake stands from Next

Mini milk bottle wrapped in Tilda printed paper from Musha Makes

Gold glitter spoon from Amara, Linen tablecloth & Lace tablecloth from H&M, Handmade Christmas crackers

Have a sweet day!

A corner of my Christmas

Sitting Deer from House Doctor, Sequin tree tutorial, Needle felted acorns

Happy New Year sweets!
I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas, I am happy to say I took a week off and had a lovely time with friends and family.

Before I kick off the New Year with lots of lovely Spring Press show finds and ways to get super organised. I wanted to share with you my Christmas decorations, crafts and recipes that I didn't get to show you before. First up is a corner of my open plan lounge/dining room that I showed you briefly before Christmas but have since had a flurry of e-mails asking me where my treasures are from. So...

Large wooden white tree from Cox & Cox 2011. Small wooden white tree from Deck the Halls @ The Spirit of Christmas Show 2012.

Mini glass Pinecone tree ornaments, White tinsel

Handmade Beaded snowflakes tutorial, Christmas tree ornaments, Baubles, Pretty pine cones

Glitter "NOEL" wooden letters tutorial, Patchwork Cushion tutorial, Beaded bird stocking tutorial

Printers tray painted white, Mini glass bottles filled with sequins and beads

Have a sweet day!

Happy New Year!

and a huge big...



To all of you that read my blog, follow me on Pinterest, Twitter, facebook and Flickr...




See you tomorrow...

Have a sweet day!